Distributed ledger

A distributed ledger (also called a shared ledger, or Distributed Ledger Technology, DLT) is a consensus of replicated, shared, and synchronized digital data geographically spread across multiple sites, countries, or institutions.[1] There is no central administrator or centralized data storage.[2]

A peer-to-peer network is required as well as consensus algorithms to ensure replication across nodes is undertaken.[2] One form of distributed ledger design is the blockchain system, which can be either public or private.

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The distributed ledger database is spread across several nodes (devices) on a peer-to-peer network, where each replicates and saves an identical copy of the ledger and updates itself independently. The primary advantage is the lack of central authority. When a ledger update happens, each node constructs the new transaction, and then the nodes vote by consensus algorithm on which copy is correct. Once a consensus has been determined, all the other nodes update themselves with the new, correct copy of the ledger. [3][4] Security is accomplished through cryptographic keys and signatures. [5][6][7]

Distributed ledgers may be permissioned or permissionless regarding if anyone or only approved people can run a node to validate transactions.[9]
They also vary between the consensus algorithm. (Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, or Voting systems). They may also be mineable (you can claim ownership of new coins contributing with a node) or not mineable (the creator of the cryptocurrency owns all at the beginning).